Swivel tailed kite

ABSTRACT

A kite is disclosed which contains a swivel tail made of individual platelets fastened together by fastening means fabricated from rivets, conventional straight pins or acorn fasteners.

United States Patent 1191 DAmico Dec. 18, 1973 1 SWIVEL TAILED KITE 2,479.473 8/1949 Cox 244/153 R [76] Inventor: John DAmico, 394! SW l22nd FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS I I Ave., Miami, Fla. 958,!72 3/1950 France 244/153 R [22] Filed: May 24, 1972 Primary Examiner-Duane A. Reger PP 63 Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Sauberer Attorney-Leonard H. King [52] U.S. CI 244/153 R 51 Int. Cl. B64c 31/06 ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 244/ I53 R, 154, 155 R A kite is disclosed which contains a swivel tail made of v v individual platelets fastened together by fastening [56] References Cited means fabricated from rivets, conventional straight UNITED STATES PATENTS pins or acorn fasteners. 1,821,465 9/1931 Dysert 244/153 R 1 Claim,8 Drawing Figures 1 SWIVEL TAILED KITE BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION This invention generally relates to kites and in particular tokites having semi rigid flexibleta'ils fabricated from individual subsections or platelets.

The tail portion. of a kite is normally used to'stabilize it when it is flow in the wind. Various streamers have been utilized by kite flying enthusiasts to serve both as a stabilizing means'and to introduce drag on the kite to enable it to rise to various heights in different wind currents and to provide an attractive display for the person flying-the kite as well as nearby viewers. The present' invention provides a means for complementing the decoration appearing on the main body of the kite and enables the tail section to be fabricated at various lengths dependent upon the type of kite to which it is to be affixed and the strength of air currents in which the kite is to be flown. The tail sections may be paintediwith various designs which complement the design features of the main portion of the kite. The semi-rigid structure of theplatelets make them reuseable and they provide maximum air lift in changeable air currents by providing movement about the pivoting point of the fastening means which occur between each of the platelet sec tions.

According to the principles of the present invention a kite is-provided which has a rigid transverse support member and a rigid central longitudinal member providedwith a hole at one end. The members are covered by a flexible flat sheet material forming the main porples of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The kite 10 consists of a main portion or body 12 and a tail portion 14. The tail portion 14 is fabricated with several small generally rectangular platelets 16 of semirigid material held together by fastening means 18 inserted into holes 20 provided in each of the platelets. The fatening means, which will be described in detail "hereinafter, is also used to affix the platelets to the main portion 12 of the kite 10. v

The main portion 12 of the kite 10 is covered by a flat semi-rigid material 22 which may be the same material that the platelets are made of and is adapted to be placed over a rigid central longitudinal member 24 which is provided with a hole 26 at one end and a rigid transverse support member 28 as shown in FIG. 2. The rigid transverse support member 28 and the longitudinal member 24 are affixed to the cover material by means of a flexible adhesive material 30 along a sub stantial portion of their length. The crossover area of the longitudinal and the transverse members is shown in the enlarged view of FIG.6.

A string 32 is attached by means of a closed loop 34 to the support string 36 which is affixed to the central longitudinal member 24 and tied thereon at a spaced interval, which is related to the physical size of the kite.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the front of the flexible material used for the body of the kite has painted thereon an artistic reproduction of a missile. The exhaust fumes extending from the missile in flight is painted on the platelets and when thekite is in flight the missile wouldappear to be energized by the tionof the kite. The main portion of the kite is provided with a flexible tail which comprises a plurality of platelets. The platelets 'are fabricated of a semi-rigid material having a generally rectangular shape and are provided with a hole proximate each end. A plurality of fastening means are provided which are adapted to be inserted through the hole in a platelet which is superimposed upon the hole in the longitudinal member. Further fasteningmeans are provided which are adapted to be inserted through cooperating holes in the platelet thereby retaining the platelets in an elongated tail sufficient to stabilize the kite in flight BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a kite in flight invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view in elevation of a kite; FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a kite along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the kite along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the attachment of a platelet to the rigid central longitudinal member with the aid of one type of fastening meansj FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the rear of the kite showing the means of fastening the rigid longitudinal and transverse members of the kite to the covering material; v

FIG. 7 is a view in elevation of an acorn fastener; and

FIG. 8 is a view in elevation of a'modified straight pin fastening means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS l A kite l0 fabricated in accordance with theprinciillusion created by the painting appearing on each of the platelets.

The cross sectional view of FIG. 4 showsa pair of platelets 16 with a hole 20 which are provided proximate each end, in each of the platelets cooperating with each other and having inserted therein the fastening means 18 which in the embodiment shown is in the form of a rivet. It is to be noted that although a rivet 18 is shown as the preferred embodiment in FIG. 4, an acorn fastener, which is shown at 18" in FIG.7, or a straight pin having been bent in a generally U-shaped configuration, as shown in FIG. 8, may also be used as made in accordance with the principles of the present a fastening means. The latter is indicated by numeral The acorn fastener of FIG. 7 has a head portion 40 and two elongated flat sections 42 and 44 which may be inserted through the holes 20 and bent in opposite directions to affix one platelet to the other.

Fastening means fabricated from a straight pin shown in FIG. 8 has a head portion 46 extending downwardly toward a U-shaped portion 48 wherein an additional portion 50 is provided on one arm. The exploded view shown in FIG. 5 shows the platelet 16 being affixed to the rigid central longitudinal member 24 via the fastening means shown in FIGS inserted in the platelet hole 20 and the hole 26 provided in longitudinal member.

The cross sectional view of FIG.3 shows the transverse support member 28 and the longitudinal member 24 in'the area of the cross-over shown in elevation in FIG.6 to further clarify the mounting procedures.

The transverse member is normally provided with a slight rearward bend or bowed characteristic by tying a string at one end 60 and pulling it causing a bow shape and then tying it at the other end 62 across the rear of the kite.

Hereinbefore has been disclosed a kite which has a main portion or body which is of a conventional design but is provided with additional means. for coupling thereto a tail portion which is fabricated in individual sections known as platelets. The platelets are fastened together and to the longitudinal member of the body portion to aid in the kites stability. These tail sections or platelets are reuseable and may be added or removed depending upon the wind conditions when flying the kite. The platelets are also provided with deco rative paintings which complement painting appearing on the main body portion of the kite.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters being provided to stabilize the kite in flight. 

1. In a kite of the type having a rigid longitudinal member and a transverse bow member and a flexible sheet covering the bow member and longitudinal member the improvement comprising: a flexible tail secured to the longitudinal member, said flexible tail consisting of a plurality of generally rectangularly shaped thin plates arranged in a row with portions of adjacent pairs of said plates in overlapping relationship and fastening means pivotally joining said adjacent pairs of plates in the overlapping region, a sufficient number of plates being provided to stabilize the kite in flight. 